Edouard Duval Carrié works on an art installation for the Duke Haiti Lab.

This site exists as an independent study project intended to serve the Duke Law School, Duke Haiti Lab, and other scholars interested in the legal rights of Haitian women. Its purpose is to provide a brief, yet informative synopsis of the involvement of the United States Government (USG) in furthering women’s rights in general, and in Haiti specifically.

While the overall goal of this project is to provide insight into the actions and policies of the federal government and Congress specifically, I recognize that the USG is but one of many actors at work in Haiti’s reconstruction. There are countless NGOs, think tanks, and universities working to build a brighter future for, and more importantly with, Haitians.

For these efforts to truly be effective, I firmly believe that all three sectors–the nonprofit, the academic, and the public–must communicate more extensively. This site is a first step. Serving as a resource for students interested in studying Haiti at Duke, this site synthesizes the actions of one actor in one sector of Haiti’s reconstruction. While its reach may be limited, it is my sincere hope that it will be the first of many endeavors to bridge the often distant realms of academia and policy.